Some devastated nurses were seen following a hearse around a hospital carrying one of their colleagues who recently died of coronavirus in a heartbreaking video that just surfaced. Aimee O'Rourke, 39, had started working as a newly qualified nurse in the esteemed Acute Medical Unit of the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, ever since 2017.
This mother-of-three had tragically died in the Critical Care Unit of the very same hospital on April 2 after recently testing positive for COVID-19. The heroic medical staff were lined at the QEQM entrance as her funeral procession recently passed on Wednesday afternoon.
The hero's passing
An army of nurses were actually seen following the car while other people stood applauding the NHS hero that newly passed away. Due to certain government guidelines, only the close family are allowed to attend the funeral but the colleagues were able to find a way to pay a fitting send off.
A certain GoFundMe page was set up in honor of Aimee's memory and has already raised £36,795 or roughly $46,000 USD which will then go to her daughters Mollie, Megan, and also Maddie. The whole East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust has confirmed that a memorial will be installed at the QEQM for those colleagues to be able to remember the much-loved nurse.
According to the ward Manager Julie Gammon, the moment Aimee was first brought into the hospital due to experiencing some symptoms of COVID-19, she then asked Julie as well as the other colleagues to sit with her in the hospital's emergency department.
The sentiments of Aimee's coworkers
Julie recently expressed how honored it was for her to be able to provide some sort of comfort for Aimee.
According to the Chief Executive of the East Kent Hospitals known as Susan Acott, the thoughts oof everyone at the Turst are now with Aimee's family and friends. Susan then commented on how hard-working, dedicated, and hugely popular Aimee was with both the staff and the patients as well.
Susan then spoke on behalf of the Trust by offering their sincere condolences to Aimee's girls, whom she adored, as well as all her family and friends.
The Chief Nurse at East Kent Hospitals Amanda Hallums has also said that everyone who was fortunate to work alongside Aimee was devastated by her death saying "We are a work family and it is devastating to lose one of our own."
Aimee was reported to be really determined to be able to provide the best possible care to every single one of her patients and also continued to come to work during the time when others were told to stay at home.
At the end of the day, the whole world is still trying to cope up with the damage the virus has done and although NHS workers are at the front of the lines fighting this virus, this does not make them exempted from the risk of infection.